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2022 Curtis Cup: Complete day two coverage
If statistics are your thing, chew on these numbers. The sum total of the world rankings for Team GBI equals 344. Team USA checks in at 164, including the 1st and 4th-ranked players in Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck. On the surface, that looks fairly lopsided.
If you believe that statistics have much, if anything to do with golf, you’re probably incorrect. Team golf is all about cooperation, cohesion, and collaboration. No shot is more important than any other, although they seem that way to the casual fan. There are no quitters on either team, so even as a pairing is losing holes, they are grinding hard. Keep that in mind when you watch them go at it on Sunday morning.
Morning Session
Day two of the 2022 Curtis Cup matches began with cloudy skies and the occasional sunburst. Sitting out the morning fourballs for Team USA were the Stanford teammates Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck. Taking the wee hours off for Team GBI were Amelia Williamson and Emily Price. The par-four, seventh and tenth holes were pushed up to inside 300 yards, tempting golfers to have a go at the green in one. Around 11:30, a drizzle began and the tone of the morning golf changed just slightly. It might have coincided with the arrival of the matches at the grueling final five. Away went the myth that golfers from the British Isles thrive in weathery conditions, and away went an opportunity to close the five-point deficit accrued on day one.
No partnership has played better thus far, than did Lauren Walsh and Caley McGinty of Team GBI. The pair opened with a win at the first, snatched four consecutive holes from six through nine, then closed with three consecutive wins at 12 through 14. Their margin of victory was 5 & 4, the largest winning gap so far. Their shared recipe was precisely what has been missing from GBI golf so far: birdies. The duo won six of their eight holes with birdie. Walsh and McGinty will team up again in the afternoon, and will need to reprise their magic to bring the visiting side back into the match.
It would be impossible to say which of the two later matches gutted the side from across the Atlantic more. Hannah Darling and Annabel Fuller won but two holes on the morning, againsf four by their opponents. A member of the volunteer brigade was heard to later exclaim Great Britain and Ireland played so well. I really have no idea how they lost. Well, how they lost was on the putting surfaces, and due to a dearth of birdies. Just four shots were saved by the team, and short putts were missed at the least opportune times. In hindsight, one always notes that the victors came through when needed. Darling and Fuller were unable to lean on each other to pull this one out. They’ll get a second chance in the afternoon’s foursomes play.
Imagine having a two-up lead with three holes to play. If you can, then you know how Charlotte Heath and Louise Duncan felt as they reached the 16th tee on Saturday morning. Imagine being down by those two holes, but having the faith that you and your partner could come back. That’s the state in which Emilia Migliaccio and Latanna Stone found themselves. Over the course of the first 15 holes, the GBI pair had just enough of an edge to stay out front. When they made a wonderful birdie at the demanding 15th, that three seemed like a dagger to the sould of the American side. Except that it wasn’t.
Over the next three holes, the pair from Great Britain and Ireland would forget how to play their game. They would close with two pars and four bogeys, and lose each of the remaining holes. The hosts made a must-have birdie at the quarry 16th, followed it with a par that seemed like a birdie at the daunting 17th, then made one last par at the last of the quarry holes, to seize the match in unpredicatable and unimaginable fashion.
With those two victories, Team USA expanded its advantage from four to five points, with three afternoon foursomes matches still to come.
Afternoon Session
Sitting out the afternoon foursomes for the visiting team from Great Britain and Ireland were Charlotte Heath and Louise Duncan. Emilia Migliaccio and Megha Ganne took a breather for Team USA. Out first for GBI were the winning team from the morning, Lauren Walsh and Caley McGinty. Their task was to take down the Stanford duo of Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck. Next up would be Amelia Williamson and Emily Price from across the Atlantic, while the home squad offered up Amari Avery and Rachel Kuehn. The final clash would see visitors Hannah Darling and Annabell Fuller pitted against Latanna Stone and Jensen Castle. On the line were three important points, in advance of eight matches on a stormy Sunday morning.
If you take a careful look at the scorecard from this match, examine the first seven holes for Team GBI and the final seven for Team USA. They are nearly mirror images. GBI won four of the first seven holes, while USA won four of the last seven. The middle segment of five fairways saw each side win two holes. Beyond that, there isn’t much to report. Four of the most talented female amateurs met in competition, and ended up dead even in the end. No lead is ever safe, and no deficit, insurmountable. Team golf, especially foursomes (aka alternate shot) is the polar opposite of individual play, and what it requires is foreign to most of us.
Amari Avery may be a Curtis Cup rookie, but she doesn’t play like one. She is a singles win away from going five and oh in her match debut. Don’t worry, it isn’t a jinx if she brought it up, and she did just that, in the interview room. Avery deflected the significance of her individual performance, insisting that it’s all about the team; nothing more, nothing less. Avery paired with Rachel Kuehn for the second consecutive day. In each match, the pair saved its best golf for the closing stretch. On Friday, they won three of their final five holes, for a 3 & 2 victory. On Saturday, the won three of the closing four, coming out on top by 2 holes.
The team of Darling and Fuller was a curious selection. Rumors abounded that Darling was not slated to play in the afternoon match, but that something had happened to a teammate, that necessitated her subbing in. This turned out to be a great move. Darling’s length often set teammate Fuller up for an easier approach. Late in the game, Darling buried a ten-feet putt on the 17th green for par, clinching a very necessary, full point for her side. It was the first time in four sessions that the visitors had halved the three points, and it was the first points for both Darling and Fuller.
Sunday’s weather forecast is yucky, with moments of ick. Thunderstorms are forecast throughout the day. If it were just rain, the golfers would play on. With electricity in the air, everything changes. To have a chance at completing the singles matches, organizers have moved the first tee time up from mid afternoon to 7:30 am. Keep your fingers crossed and do your weather dance. Merion will need it.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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News
Vincenzi’s 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting preview: International talent to shine
As anticipation mounts for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla in a few weeks, the PGA Tour makes a pit stop in McKinney, Texas to play The CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
Last year was the third time TPC Craig Ranch hosted the Byron Nelson. Prior to 2021, the event was held at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.
TPC Craig Ranch is a 7,414-yard par-71 that features Bentgrass greens. The event historically plays relatively easy, and that has remained the case in the three editions at TPC Craig Ranch.
The course structure may provide some additional intrigue with the par-3 17th featuring a stadium setup called “Ranch 17” which is reminiscent of the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. The course also has both long and difficult par-4s mixed with drivable par-4s, which should create some exciting moments.
There are 156 golfers in the field this week, and many stars will be taking the week off to prepare for 2023’s second major championship in a few weeks and a “signature event” at Quail Hollow next week. Notable players in the field include Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Stephan Jaeger, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Alex Noren, Adam Scott and Will Zalatoris.
Past Winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson
- 2023: Jason Day (-23 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2022: K.H. Lee (-26 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2021: K.H. Lee (-25 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2019: Sung Kang (-23)
- 2018: Aaron Wise (-23)
- 2017: Billy Horschel (-12)
- 2016: Sergio Garcia (-15)
- 2015: Steven Bowditch (-18)
Key Stats at TPC Craig Ranch
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for TPC Craig Ranch to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach remains the best measure of current form.
Hot iron play will be at a premium this week. Last year, Jason Day gained 6.4 strokes on approach, which was fourth in the field. In 2022, K.H. Lee was ninth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.2 strokes. In his 2021 victory, he was second in the field and gained 8.3 strokes on the field in the category.
Strokes Gaines: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Keith Mitchell (+1.02)
- Henrik Norlander (+0.99)
- Ryan Moore (+0.98)
- Ben Martin (0.80)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Fairways are wide at TPC Craig Ranch.
Distance will certainly be helpful, and there aren’t too many difficult holes on the course. Golfers who put themselves in position off of the tee this week should have a sizable advantage.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds
- Peter Kuest (+0.93)
- Kevin Daugherty (+0.91)
- Alejandro Tosti (+0.83)
- Keith Mitchell (+0.82)
- Kevin Tway (+0.74)
Birdie or Better %
There aren’t many hazards on the course, and all of the par-5s should be reachable in two for the majority of the players in the field. I am anticipating a birdie fest, and this statistic should be helpful in finding the birdie-makers.
Birdie or Better % Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Wesley Bryan (31%)
- Kelly Kraft (26.2%)
- Peter Kuest (25.9%)
- Matti Schmid (25.7%
- Jimmy Stanger (25.2%)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
Many golfers on TOUR have some major putting surface variance in their statistics and prefer Bentgrass to other surfaces.
Bentgrass is common in Texas, and we often see golfers who play well in Texas continue to do so, finding a great feel around the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Maverick McNealy (+0.92)
- Aaron Baddeley (+0.87)
- Callum Tarren (+0.86)
- Harry Hall (+0.81)
- Nick Hardy (+0.69)
Course History
This statistic will tell us which players have performed the best at TPC Craig Ranch over the past three seasons.
Course History Over Past 12 Rounds:
- Jordan Spieth (+2.69)
- K.H. Lee (+2.59)
- Seamus Power (+1.84)
- Ryan Palmer (+1.76)
- Adam Scott (+1.72)
CJ CUP Byron Nelson Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: OTT (24%), Birdie or Better % (18%), Course History (17%) and SG: Putting Bentgrass (16%).
- Alex Noren
- Adam Scott
- Keith Mitchell
- Si Woo Kim
- Stephen Jaeger
- Jordan Spieth
- Jhonnatan Vegas
- Nate Lashley
- Brice Garnett
- Tom Hoge
2024 CJ CUP Byron Nelson Picks
Byeong Hun An +3000 (DraftKings)
Byeong Hun put together an excellent performance at The Masters, finishing T16, which ties his best ever finish at a major championship (also T16 at 2019 U.S. Open). The South Korean gained 9.16 strokes from tee to green, which ranked 2nd in the field behind only the champion, Scottie Scheffler.
An’s next start at Harbour Town didn’t go as well (67th), but he still had a fantastic ball striking week. The 32-year-old bled strokes both around and on the greens, which was his eventual undoing. In his past three starts, An has gained significant strokes on the field both off the tee and on approach.
Benny had a strong start at last year’s Byron Nelson, finishing in a tie for 14th. With limited challenges on the course, he shouldn’t have to do much scrambling. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 17th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 17th in the field in birdie or better percentage. The putter is up and down per usual, but his ceiling putting weeks with his LAB Golf putter in 2024 are higher than they’ve been in past seasons.
An is starting to become my “white whale” of the PGA Tour, but I believe in his talent and TPC Craig Ranch is a course that should suit his excellent tee to green play.
Mackenzie Hughes +5500 (FanDuel)
Mackenzie Hughes is quietly putting together a very good season. He finished in a tie for 3rd at the Valspar Championship and followed that up with a T14 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
In his past 36 rounds in Texas, the Canadian ranks 5th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total. Last year, he finished in a tie for 14th at this event and gained strokes putting and off the tee. Mackenzie played well that week despite being in extremely poor form. He missed two cuts in a row prior to the event, and four consecutive cuts immediately after. His irons were off that week, but in 2024, we’ve seen an improvement in Hughes’ approach game. He now comes to the event playing some steady golf. He’s gained strokes on approach in four of his past five events and is hitting the ball very well from tee to green.
Hughes has two victories on the PGA Tour, both coming in relatively low-scoring affairs (-17 in each). He will need to go a bit deeper to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson but has the type of putter that can keep pace in a birdie barrage.
Seamus Power +7000 (FanDuel)
After struggling over the past few seasons with injuries, Seamus Power seems as if he is rounding back into the form that made him a really consistent player on the PGA Tour.
Power finished T12 in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage, which is encouraging considering it was a “signature event” with a very strong field. For the week, the Irishman gained 4.4 strokes on approach and 2.8 strokes putting, which is the combination he’s used in the past to contend on Tour.
In his three trips to TPC Craig Ranch, Power is yet to finish outside of the top-20, with his best finish being a T9 in 2019. He ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course. The 37-year-old thrives on easy tracks and has won in 2021 (Barbasol Championship) and 2022 (Butterfield Bermuda) on easier layouts with weaker fields.
Power has the game to go extremely low and I believe he can get back in the winner’s circle for the third time in four years.
Chan Kim +10000 (FanDuel)
Chan Kim has been striking the ball beautifully this season and is a proven winner with two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 as well as eight career Japan Tour wins.
At last week’s Zurich Classic, Kim and his partner Doug Ghim finished in a tie for 28th. Prior to that, the South Korean T14 at the Valero Texas Open and T6 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. His success this season in Texas as well as he propensity to play his best golf on the PGA Tour’s easier courses make him and ideal fit for TPC Craig Ranch.
2024 has given plenty of longshot winners on the PGA Tour, and with a birdie fest like this, I believe there’s a strong chance we get another this week in McKinney, Texas.
Alejandro Tosti +10000 (FanDuel)
Alejandro Tosti is one of the most polarizing players on the PGA Tour thus far in the 2024 season. His antics can rub many the wrong way, but he’s shown on a few occasions that he has what it takes to compete in Tour events.
This season, Tosti has been elite off the tee. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The Argentine hits it long and straight, which works at any course on earth. He got a taste of contention a few starts ago at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, finishing in a tie for 2nd place.
Tosti had a fantastic year in 2023 on the Korn Ferry Tour, where going low is a prerequisite to success. If this turns to a shootout, which it likely will, the 27-year-old has the ability to set the pace. Tosti will look to become the second Argentine to win in Texas in the past two seasons after Emiliano Grillo emerged victorious at last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
C.T. Pan +15000 (FanDuel)
Outside of a T3 at the Mexico Open, C.T. Pan doesn’t have strong results this season in terms of finishes. However, over his past two starts, Pan’s iron play has come alive. At The Players, he gained 6.6 strokes on approach. At the Valero Texas Open, he gained 3.7. At last week’s Zurich Classic, Pan and his partner Kevin Yu finished T28. For a player who can get extremely hot with his scoring clubs, I believe he’s playing better than the results have shown over the past month or so.
Last season, Pan finished 4th at TPC Craig Ranch and was spectacular across all the major stat categories. In his past 36 qualifying rounds, he ranks 16th in Strokes Gained: Total in Texas.
Pan has won on the PGA Tour at the RBC Heritage and is always a player that I believe has what it takes to win on a Sunday if he finds himself in contention.
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Morning 9: McIlroy, Lowry win Zurich | Green repeats on LPGA | Steele victorious down under
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